Avalon Studio & Home Studio

The Avalon VT-737SP is a vacuum tube based microphone preamplifier. It also has an on board compressor and EQ and is really a full channel strip. It has XLR inputs and outputs in the back and also has a 1/4 inch instrument input in the front. It is a rackable unit and will take up 2 rack spaces. UTILIZATION All of the knobs and buttons can be a bit overwhelming at first, but it just adds to its versatility and is easy to figure out what everything does in a bit of time. A lot of times I won't even touch the EQ or compression sections and just use the preamp, which eliminates a lot of the buttons. Overall, it is easy to get a good sound out of this. I don't have a manual but I would definitley think that it would helpful when learning this piece of gear. SOUND QUALITY The Avalon VT-737SP is a great sounding preamp. It is warm, but it won't color the sound as it portrays an accurate sound that comes in crisp and clear. I also really like the EQ and the compression on this as both are very helpful and sound great. The EQ is in depth which allows for a great deal of zeroing in on the sound you want. OVERALL OPINION I've been using the Avalon VT-737SP for about four or five years. In terms of modern outboard preamplifiers, this is one of my favorite. The sound from my microphones comes in clear and I have a great deal of control with EQ and compression. This makes me happy because it allows me to get the sound I am looking for, and can usually get it pretty quickly with this unit. The price is expensive but is probably set right for a high end preamp with an outboard compressor and EQ. Overall I love this preamp and would recommend it to those looking for a great pre amp that also has a compressor and EQ.